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City Council Throws Support to Youngstown Strikers
The full City Council in Youngstown, Ohio, has thrown its weight behind the TNG-CWA members on strike against the city's newspaper over wages and health care.
"The Council is in support of the Vindicator's striking employees and their position to receive fair wages, fair working conditions and fair health care benefits," the Dec. 15 resolution stated. All seven council members voted for it.
In addition, a councilman from the nearby city of Warren, Ohio, publicly burned his Vindicator subscription card at a rally for the workers last week and said he plans to present his council with a resolution backing the strikers.
"Clearly the Youngstown community is on the side of the strikers," national TNG President Linda Foley said. "That's why Vindicator management must recognize and acknowledge the contributions their workers have made and put forth a fair contract that will settle this strike."
Members of Local 34011 have been walking the picket line since Nov. 16. After four years with no raises, the paper has offered a mere 1 percent to most employees and wants further health care rollbacks.
Fueled by a CWA advertising campaign, readers have been canceling subscriptions and sending checks to strikers. The workers are publishing a weekly strike newspaper with a circulation of more than 50,000. It is available electronically at www.valleyvoiceonline.com.
Local President Anthony Markota said despite the community pressure, the company hasn't returned to the bargaining table. "This management is akin to Custer ordering the Indians to surrender," he said. "Everything is going against them, and they continue to kind of stall and not get back to the table."
The Vindicator has hired replacement reporters to continue to publish, but scabs are no longer being solicited by the Institute of Political Journalism. Last week, activists planned a protest in front of the Washington, D.C.-based institute after it sent an e-mail to former students encouraging them to apply for the Vindicator jobs.
The protest was canceled when institute Director Traci Leonardo apologized after receiving numerous faxes and e-mails saying there was nothing educational about teaching students to be scabs.
Leonardi said she'd forwarded the e-mail soliciting workers without reading it closely. After the negative feedback, she sent another e-mail saying, "We are not endorsing strike-breaking and support the rights of the workers at the Vindicator… we do not have any students at the paper, and we are being much more careful of what we send our alums."
"The Council is in support of the Vindicator's striking employees and their position to receive fair wages, fair working conditions and fair health care benefits," the Dec. 15 resolution stated. All seven council members voted for it.
In addition, a councilman from the nearby city of Warren, Ohio, publicly burned his Vindicator subscription card at a rally for the workers last week and said he plans to present his council with a resolution backing the strikers.
"Clearly the Youngstown community is on the side of the strikers," national TNG President Linda Foley said. "That's why Vindicator management must recognize and acknowledge the contributions their workers have made and put forth a fair contract that will settle this strike."
Members of Local 34011 have been walking the picket line since Nov. 16. After four years with no raises, the paper has offered a mere 1 percent to most employees and wants further health care rollbacks.
Fueled by a CWA advertising campaign, readers have been canceling subscriptions and sending checks to strikers. The workers are publishing a weekly strike newspaper with a circulation of more than 50,000. It is available electronically at www.valleyvoiceonline.com.
Local President Anthony Markota said despite the community pressure, the company hasn't returned to the bargaining table. "This management is akin to Custer ordering the Indians to surrender," he said. "Everything is going against them, and they continue to kind of stall and not get back to the table."
The Vindicator has hired replacement reporters to continue to publish, but scabs are no longer being solicited by the Institute of Political Journalism. Last week, activists planned a protest in front of the Washington, D.C.-based institute after it sent an e-mail to former students encouraging them to apply for the Vindicator jobs.
The protest was canceled when institute Director Traci Leonardo apologized after receiving numerous faxes and e-mails saying there was nothing educational about teaching students to be scabs.
Leonardi said she'd forwarded the e-mail soliciting workers without reading it closely. After the negative feedback, she sent another e-mail saying, "We are not endorsing strike-breaking and support the rights of the workers at the Vindicator… we do not have any students at the paper, and we are being much more careful of what we send our alums."